Inquiry
by McAwsome
Summary: It was a question Anakin hoped to avoid, but an answer Ahsoka needed. (Takes place after the Mortis arc.)


_A sudden drop. The rush of air. Fearful screams. An enraged screech._

 _Suffocating darkness._

 _Uncertainty, hope, anger._

 _Then pain. An aching, tingling pain. It twisted, pushed and pulled, distorting reality._

 _An argument. Vile words. Hopeful pleas. Anger, hate, much stronger than before._

 _Flashes of light._

 _An object. Something vital. Desperation to retrieve it._

 _A shattering of glass, the sound distant. Harsh remarks. The vital object, the need to obtain it satisfied. Pleas. warnings, of what it could do. Hesitation. Helplessness. Dread._

 _Darkness._

 _A great, blinding light. Freedom_

* * *

Ahsoka sat sleepless on her military issue bunk. _Why can't I remember?_ There were feelings. Blurry, unclear images. But no matter how much she thought, how long she meditated, she couldn't remember.

She looked to the chrono on the wall. _0200_.

Five hours since their return from Mortis. Huffing a frustrated breath, she tried again to recall what had happened.

 _They were on the shuttle, leaving Mortis. She was talking to Anakin. Then... She was falling. A sensation of air whipping past her montrals, before the downward movement stopped, and she was going forward. The son gripped her arms tightly as he weaved around tall rock formations._

 _She remembered being dragged through caverness hallways, leading to a room in the center of the colossal tower. She was chained to a wall. There was a creature, an argument. She was freed._

 _Then... everything blurred._

 _She saw images as if through another beings eyes. They were black and white, twisted and warped beyond comprehension._

 _Then her master stood over her, saying how good it was to see her._

She glared at the floor, annoyed by her inability to remember. She had asked the two elder Jedi about it, Master Kenobi telling her that was a question for Anakin. Anakin avoiding her whenever she asked.

Over the last couple hours she had been debating whether or not she should go ask him again - what was the worst he could do? Not tell her? Though whenever the thought crossed her mind, she hesitated. Did she really want to know what happened?

She heaved another sigh.

The troubled Togruta continued to harshly stare at the ground, before concluding that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she knew. Standing, she didn't even bother to check that she looked presentable - her master wouldn't care.

She squinted against the bright lights of the Resolute's empty hall, silently creeping across to Anakin's quarters. She started to open the door, then froze.

What if she regretted asking him?

She shook away the thought, reminding herself that this was the only way she'd be able to rest. Activating the door, she quickly stepped inside.

His quarters were almost identical to hers, with the exception of scattered droid parts, and a poster for the Boonta eve podrace.

She spied him laying on his bed - where any sane person would be at this hour - with his back facing her.

"M...Master?" She called tentatively.

She stepped farther into the room when he didn't answer.

"Master?"

He _looked_ like he was asleep. But, as she had discovered, Anakin Skywalker was very good at faking.

He stirred, mumbling something. The name of a certain senator, to be more specific.

 _Yup, he's asleep._

She walked the rest of the way over to his bed, stopping to lean over him. It was strange, seeing the Jedi Knight asleep. He looked peaceful - a complete contrast to when he was awake.

It felt like a crime to wake him at this ungodly hour.

No matter - she had committed several crimes in the past.

"Master?" No response. "Hey... Master."

She leaned closer to his face, still speaking in a harsh whisper. "Ma-ster. _Master_...psst, Skyguy. Wake. up!"

She smiled victoriously as he groaned. A moment later he opened his eyes. Judging by his horrified expression, waking to find a face just inches from his own wasn't what he was expecting.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked as he rubbed his face.

"Umm..." What was she doing in here? 'Hey Master, I know it's two in the morning, but I was wondering if you could tell me what happened now' didn't seem like a good response.

"I, uh... Couldn't sleep?"

"Right." Was his skeptical reply. He already knew what she was going to ask, and was formulating an excuse not to tell her.

"Why won't you tell me what happened?" She abruptly demanded. Rather loudly, he might add. The Knight placed a finger against his lip, gesturing for her to lower her voice. No sooner did he raise his hand than his apprentice spoke again.

"No!" She protested. "Tell me what happened. I deserve to know!"

Anakin paused. She had a point. She deserved to know. He looked back up at her, to see that she was - _Force no!_ He quickly averted his gaze.

Anakin was a strong man. He was a very strong man. But even the strongest of men have weaknesses.

His came in the form of puppy eyes.

Puppy eyes were Ahsoka's specialty.

"Ahsoka..." He trailed off when he caught sight of her face again. She looked so young. So innocent. Much to young and innocent to be fighting a war. She deserved better than this. She - Anakin made a spot beside him for her to sit.

She gratefully took the offered seat, letting out a long breath through her nose. As she did, she seemed to deflate, curling in on herself and staring absently at the wall.

He watched her for several long minutes before finally giving in.

"You want to know what happened?" Ahsoka started at the sound of his voice, which was still deep and gravelly from sleep.

She nodded her head to the greatest extent she could with it perched on her knees.

"Are you sure -"

"No, I'm not!" He was taken aback by her sudden outburst. "But I'm not gonna be able to sleep until I know. I don't even know if I'll be able to then!"

He held his hands up in surrender, desperately hoping she didn't wake anyone up. He didn't need a sleep deprived Obi-Wan in here.

"I was just asking! So... what's the last thing you remember?" Her glare shifted from the wall to him.

Ahsoka had told him, at least twice, that her last recollection was of 'something similar to Master Yoda, only fatter and it had big fangs', as she described it. She told him within the past few hours, and he was not that forgetful - a fact which she knew.

Yes, he was stalling.

Her irate gaze was still fixated on him. He promptly cleared his throat before continuing, "After the son took you, _Obi-wan_ crashed the ship-" She started to say something, but decided against it. "-He, of course, wanted to go find the father, but I thought we needed to help you first." He could feel the lump slowly rising in his throat as he continued.

"I headed for Son's tower. When I got there you...you were..."

"What? I was what?" Her voice was soft, concerned.

"You asked if I was proud of you." The marks above her eyes knit together.

"Well, are you?"

"Yes!" He blurted before she was even done speaking. Her eye-marks separated, one rising above the other.

"Go on."

"He did something to you. He-" Anakin paused, searching for the right word. "- _poisoned_ you. To try to get me to help him."

 _"He said, if you don't join him, he will kill me."_

She was thoughtfully massaging the bacta patch on her forearm, then suddenly stopped.

"You didn't, did you?"

He immediately shook his head, which she responded to with an approved nod, before motioning him to continue.

"When I told you I wouldn't join him, you... well," How was he supposed to say this? "You tried to kill me." _That was rather blunt._

As his words sank in her expression turned to one of absolute terror.

"I - I tried to-" She placed both hands over her lips as she looked up at him. Through their bond he could feel her shock and disbelief. She was also scared, both of herself and him. _Why is she scared of me?_

 _"Always with criticism, Master. Never really believing in me, trusting me."_

She wasn't scared of _him_. She was scared of what he thought. Upon realizing that, he awkwardly leaned over and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey," He soothed. "It's alright. I'm not mad."

"I tried to kill you!" She cried, words muffled by her hands, but the distress clear in her voice.

"No. You didn't try to kill me." He really should've picked his words more carefully. "The son did. He was controlling you." Anakin didn't expect her to react this way. Yes, she had attacked him - she was being forced to.

He didn't blame her. If anything he blamed himself.

"I _could've_ killed you!" Her voice was rising in both volume and pitch. Hoping to calm her, he gently patted her back.

"But you didn't. I'm here. Your here. So is Obi-Wan." She relaxed, ever so slightly, in his embrace.

"But how?" Her voice was at a more bearable level.

"Well," He started, "Me and you dueled for awhile - you've started relying on your shoto to much, I noticed - then Master _finally_ showed up. He had a weapon that could supposedly kill the son." He leaned back to see her face, keeping his grip around her. "You tried to take it, but couldn't. Eventually Father, Daughter, and Son got there." He hesitated - what would her reaction be?

"You got the dagger, that could kill the son, and gave it to him. Then..." _He killed you_. Should he tell her that? He could just leave it out. But Ahsoka was smart, she'd know it wasn't the whole story.

Anakin looked back at her face. She was craning her neck to see him, and her expression was both intrigued and impatient, urging him to continue.

"After you gave it to him, he didn't need you anymore." He could feel his throat closing, "He touched your forehead-" Anakin placed his finger there, in between the white marks, "- and... Killed you."

"But I'm still alive." There was a hesitancy in her words, making them more of a question than a statement.

He nodded, doing his best impression of a smile. "After he had the dagger, Son attempted to stab Father, but accidentally hit Daughter. He flew away, so I ran to you."

 _Dark, poisoned veins that contrasted pale skin._

 _Bloodshot eyes rolled into her head._

 _Cold, still, she wasn't breathing._

 _Force presence all but gone, a shadow._

"And I was dead?" She was no longer a war-hardened soldier, but something much more fragile. Smaller, younger.

Again, he nodded, then rested his chin on top of her still-small montrals, hiding his face.

"I'm not dead now, though. Right? I'm mean, I don't _feel_ dead." Anakin smiled. A small, genuine smile.

"Your not dead."

"But _how_?" She repeated.

"Daughter saved you. She gave you what was left of her life." He pulled back, keeping his hands on her small shoulders. She was thoughtfully observing the wall, solemnly nodding as she processed the information.

Ahsoka looked back to him. "I wish I could thank her." She swallowed, clearing her strangled voice. "I'm glad I'm not dead."

The sentiment wasn't very Jedi-like, but he wouldn't lecture her on it. He was glad also.

"Me too, Snips."

 _"Don't call me that! I_ hate _it when you call me that!"_

He replaced his arms around her back, Ahsoka returning his gesture. They sat there for several minutes, Anakin gently rocking back and forth.

After awhile he ceased his movement, leaning to look past the Akul-teeth and see his Padawan's eyes peacefully closed. The Jedi checked the time, written in glowing letters on the wall. It was past three, and he didn't have the heart to wake her. By morning he was sure to have bruises under his eyes. Maybe even the dazed stare to go with them.

For a moment - one small, fleeting moment - he wondered why he ever accepted an apprentice.

 **There it is, my fourth one shot! It's quite a lot longer than I planned, but I'm sure y'all don't mind. ;) A big thanks goes to The-singular-peep for all the advice - if it weren't for her, this never would've made it out of my head.**

 **And to her, Lux's Sister, Rebelsoka, lunacroniclesandcocktiels, death7559, AltoValGal, The Whisperer of Death, Sailor Light Angel, Nyxitic Eclipse, Master of Ze Aster, For reviewing/favoriting/following. You guys are awesome!**

 **Any feedback is appreciated, I strive to become a better author. :)**


End file.
